Teens Talk - Car Pool

The Grand Rapids Times
11/21/2008
By Marcel Gamble

Many of us have had to endure the awkward experience of car pooling.
You can remember the time when you and Susie from the neighborhood were going to the same summer camp and mama didn’t want to waste money on gas.
So she made you ride to camp with little Susie and her parents.
Well, currently that isn’t the case anymore. Car pooling really doesn’t exist now.
It doesn’t exist because of fear. The fear is a result of a few bad youth involved in violence.
There is fear that this young man might have drugs on him because he is labeled as a drug dealer.
There is fear that this young man might have a gun on him because he is known as a gang banger.
Since youth can no longer be trusted, and car pooling no longer takes place anymore, then what is the point of incorporating time and marking dates on your calendar to spend with youth?
This is the attitude of so many people who are already where they need to be in life; individuals who have made it to college and people who have their careers.
This is the attitude of people who have forgotten that they used to be these youth in the past.
You see, people still believe that carpooling is all about saving gas; but car pooling is about saving lives.
You might not realize it; but by guiding a youth in the right direction, you are car pooling.
You are offering a seat in your car so someone else can become successful in life.
Do not turn your back on disengaged youth because there once was a time when someone had to lift you up and brush you off to car pool you in the right direction.
It’s good to know where you are going but don’t ever forget where you are from.
I would like to commend an organization called Urban Young Life for remaining faithful towards upcoming youth.
I want to commend them for believing that the children of today are somebody and will continue to be somebody.
Quentin Henry and to the rest of the Urban Young Life organization, I want to thank you for car pooling for our leaders of tomorrow.
I’m going to leave you all with this, Ezekial 1:2, Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
Since our inheritance must go to strangers and our houses to aliens then why should we have a problem investing time into our leaders of tomorrow?
Marcel Gamble, a 2008 graduate of Kelloggsville High School, is a student at Calvin College.